Efficiency is NOT MPG

[GasSavers_Howard]

[QUOTE=theholycow;158567]A 1997 half-ton weighs 4000-5500 pounds empty. Also, you said 3 tons of cargo in a trailer, not 3 tons behind the truck. A trailer that can carry 3 tons weighs, at a bare minimum, another whole ton. A trailer whose loaded gross weight is 3 tons is nowhere near as bad but is likely to be outside the legal limit.


I don't know where your weight figures come from, but mine is from the scale at the scrap yard where I'm weighed in loaded and weighed out empty. That of course includes two bodies, and the tools I carry behind the seat, a not insignificant weight, two spare tires, and typically 100 lbs of fuel.... total of perhaps as much as 900 lbs over factory empty weight..... deducting the extra weights mentioned, I'm still at least 1000 lbs above your maximum weight. It is a certified scale, and I do have scale tickets from when I'm hauling with just the pickup. It is an extended cab 2 door with a short box and two wheel drive, and a light engine and transmission........ It would be interesting to empty the pickup completely, and scale it with a full tank of gas which can be calculated... down at the rail yard scale. There definitely is no safety issue pulling trailer with it, nor does Montana law prevent me from legally pulling the loads I do.